InterPride is calling on LGBTQ people everywhere to attend and support local Prides everywhere, rising up to tell the world that they will not be silent in the face of oppression.
As many community members know, June is traditionally the main month when LGBTQ people around the world take to the streets to celebrate pride and in myriad ways demonstrate the diversity of our community and our allies. However, after years of progress on many fronts we now have fervent opponents of LGBTQ equality in control of every branch of the United States government. Pride has taken on a new urgency in 2017.
Pride celebrations were born out of protest in the late 60s, from the Compton Cafeteria and Stonewall riots, as well as pickets in the Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, PA. In 2017, protest can take many forms. Many are organizing Pride events to create venues to speak up for LGBTQ rights in their own cities and states; some are joining the National Equality March in DC to stand against the current administration’s homophobic and transphobic policies; and of course, simply celebrating LGBTQ identity in the face of those who see the community as “less than” for can be an act of protest in itself.
InterPride feels the LGBTQ community can and must come together to welcome all of its diverse members, embracing its role as larger intersectional communities that are inclusive of people of every age, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, profession, ability, and income. No one has a monopoly on the definition of Pride; rather, each Pride aims to create a venue where all LGBTQ people can be themselves.
Even as the community comes together to face the immense political challenges posed by this administration, InterPride reminds Pride organizers and attendees that their place in history will be built on the accomplishments, and the hard-won struggles, of all those who came before. Pride organizations have a vital role as the stewards of this history. In that spirit, InterPride calls on all LGBTQ people to take part in their local Pride, whether by volunteering, marching, or simply attending.
“Pride can be among the most powerful acts of resistance, and this year, LGBTQ Americans across the country will raise their voices louder than ever against those who would rescind their hard-won rights.”
